First Snow
by Auburn Waves
Summary: Wintry one-shots set a few months after Cor, Aravis and Corin arrive at Anvard. Ch.3: Corin decides it's high time his brother learnt how to be a 'real' prince. Cor is sceptical.
1. First Snow

**Aravis and Cor have never seen snowfall before. Corin has.**

 **Just a short friendship scene between Aravis and Cor, after they've been at Anvard for a few months. Can be seen as backstory for my other Narnia story 'The Brothers of Archenland', but it stands on its own as well.**

 **First Snow**

It was white. All of it. And Aravis didn't know what had happened.

Well, she did, because everyone had been talking about it. But she'd never seen anything like it before. Or felt the coldness seeping into her toes and biting her fingers. She knelt down in the fluffy carpet and it crunched, adjusting to her figure. It was almost deep enough that she could disappear if she ducked her head.

And it was still falling, catching in her hair. A speckled mane.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" said Shasta, breathless.

He crouched next to her, holding his hands towards the sky to catch the flakes.

They were in the middle of the field nearest the castle and Aravis could hardly believe how quickly the whiteness had obliterated all the greenery. It even clung onto the trees in geometrically shaped mounds. Every now and then, it would get too heavy and some of it would slip off the branches and leaves to fall in a pile at the base of the tree.

"It's snow," said Aravis.

A fragile, powdery substance that couldn't have been more opposite to the landscapes she'd grown up in. Sometimes she thought she was adjusting well to living in Archenland, but then she'd see a picture of a curved sword and she'd get a funny feeling in her stomach.

"It's cold," said Shasta, pulling his furs around himself.

He was adjusting too, but he seemed to do it more easily, possibly because this life was much better than his old one. When they'd first arrived, Shasta would flinch away from his father when Lune was angry or frustrated, until he'd realised the man wasn't going to lay a finger on him.

Aravis prodded his chest.

"Haven't you put on any weight yet?" she said. "We've been here for months."

"I'm trying," said Shasta. "It just doesn't stay."

"Hmm," said Aravis. "Maybe you have a fisher boy's soul."

He crossed his arms over his chest.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That you're utterly charming and you save people from lions," she said.

He grinned.

"Really?"

"Yes," said Aravis. "I wouldn't say it if it weren't true, would I?"

"Yesterday you said I was an ass," said Shasta.

"My point stands."

Shasta nudged her. She nudged him back and a fire lit in his eyes. Aravis' muscles tightened and not a moment too soon, because he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her down into the snow.

"I am not an ass," he laughed. She laughed too, trying to push him away.

Flakes flurried under her cloak and she gasped as ice cold prickles melted on her skin. She caught a handful of snow and swept it towards his face. He squeaked.

"Maybe a mouse," said Aravis, managing to push him off.

"You are so cruel to me," said Shasta, clutching his chest and sticking his tongue out as though he were dying.

Aravis prodded him in the ribs and his leg jerked.

"You are not very convincingly dead," she said.

"People's legs can jerk when they're dead," said Shasta.

"And can they hold a conversation as well?"

Shasta bit his lip, then sat up, a shiver running through his body.

"It really is cold though," he said, brushing a large chunk of compacted snow off his shoulder. He was wearing a tunic and jacket underneath. Aravis was wearing Archenland's chief tailor's take on Calormene trousers, but she was beginning to regret it, because they were designed to keep heat out, not in.

"Maybe we should go back inside," said Aravis, as the wind ruffled through her hair, dislodging snowflakes, only for them to be replaced a moment later by the sky.

"Not yet," said Shasta. "We haven't built a snowman."

"Hmm," said Aravis. "What about a snow ass?"

The fire was back, but she was ready for it this time.

Pushing herself to her feet, she stumbled away across the snow. She would have done it more gracefully, but her legs sunk into the powder in an irregular rhythm. Shasta got up as well and chased after her. And he had all the advantage, because he wasn't the one being slowed down by carving a path.

He reached out a hand to catch her cloak, but she shifted sideways and he overbalanced, but managed to catch himself before he toppled. Then he came after her again and she let him catch her this time, mostly because he was smiling and instead of trying to drag her down, he pulled her into a hug.

His body was warm and he smelt like horses. Probably because he spent way too much time in the stables, but she didn't mind, because she spent way too much time in the stables with him.

"Aravis, can I tell you something?" he said, burying his face in her hair – lucky him to have a companion with such warming capabilities, because his hair was too short to use as protection from the wind, though she did try.

They were still about the same height and sometimes it felt like that would never change, though Lune had promised Shasta would outgrow her eventually. Aravis had protested that her family were quite tall and she was quite proud of it, but Lune had gestured to his own height and then the courtiers around them and Aravis had realised that Archenlanders were on average quite a bit taller than Calormenes.

Which meant Shasta would be a lot taller than her one day.

"Of course," she said. "But if you're going to confess to being an ass, I'm already aware of it."

He huffed and the fur on his cloak ruffled in the wind as though in agreement.

"Well maybe I won't say it now," he said, though he was still holding her against him.

"Say what?"

"Tell me I'm not an ass," he said.

Aravis rolled her eyes, even though he wouldn't be able to see it.

"Fine, you're not an ass."

"Well if you say it, it must be true," said Shasta.

She rolled her eyes again.

"What were you going to say, Shasta?"

She felt his smile against her cheek.

"You're one of the best friends I've ever had," he said and her stomach twisted.

She tried to be a good friend, but she still felt bad about treating him so awfully the first time they'd met. It was even worse that he'd done so much for her since. Letting her stay in his father's castle, gifting her books and listening to her stories, and running at lions to help her. She'd tried to return the favour, by helping him with his weapon lessons, though sometimes he got huffy when she knocked him on his backside too much.

Shasta nudged her cheek with his nose, the cold tip sending ripples along her skin. She could barely feel her own nose anymore, or her toes for that matter and her hands were beginning to freeze inside her gloves, but he was radiating enough heat to convince her not to go inside just yet.

He nudged her again.

And again.

"What?" she said.

"Aren't you going to say it back?" he said.

She moved back and studied his face. Ice-blue eyes and dimples where he was smiling. Sentimentality was one of his great weaknesses, but she liked that about him. He raised his eyebrows and she clasped his face with her puffy-gloved hands, pushing his mouth out like a fish.

"Shasta of the asses," she said. "You are one of the best friends I've ever had."

She let go of his face and he grinned.

"Not an ass," he said.

She smiled and then something heavy clunked into her side, spattering white flakes in all directions.

She twisted her head to see Corin picking up a clump of snow a few metres away. He wore his cloak almost fully open, like he didn't mind the cold so much and he was grinning from ear to ear.

"Did you just throw something at me?" shouted Aravis.

He nodded, pressing his hands together. Then he took aim and a ball of snow flew through the air and smacked into Shasta's shoulder.

"Hey," said Shasta.

"Well, if you're going to stand there like sitting ducks," said Corin, picking up another clump of snow.

Aravis and Shasta shared a look, then sprang apart as the next projectile whistled through the air. It smashed into the ground between them.

"We could take him together," said Aravis, scooping up a handful of freezing snow.

"I heard that," said Corin.

"Then you'd better run," she shouted back.

He threw a projectile. She dodged.

Then with barely-bitten smiles, Aravis and Shasta ran towards the younger prince.

 **Might turn this into a series of winter-themed or snow-themed one-shots, if people are interested. I just thought it would be cute to write something from when Aravis and Shasta are still young.**


	2. Sneaks

**Cor is sneaking around and Aravis becomes suspicious, but so does Corin.**

 **Sneaks**

Aravis spotted Shasta as he came out of his room. He glanced over his shoulder, scanning the corridor and she pushed herself further into the alcove. With a twist of his lip, he went on his way, checking over his shoulder every few steps.

When he reached the top of the steps, Aravis hurried out of her hiding place and followed. She'd taken the precaution today of kitting herself out in full winter attire, because last time, she'd had to cut short the tailing because he'd gone outside and she could only manage a few minutes before her limbs had started to turn to ice.

She followed him to the bottom of the staircase, pausing at the bend before peering around the corner to check he was still there and gauge his direction. Outside the window, snowflakes fell from the heavens, piling up on the windowsill.

Shasta turned towards the throne room and Aravis hurried after him. She rounded the corner, only to walk straight into his back. He stumbled forward with a startled yelp.

"Sorry," said Aravis.

He turned to face her, frowning.

"Everything alright?" he said.

Her cheeks warmed.

"Fine," she said. "Wonderful. It's a beautiful day."

Shasta frowned harder.

"Er, I suppose," he said. "What were you doing?"

"I was just going to the throne room," said Aravis.

"Why?"

"Er…to practice my dancing."

Shasta grimaced and she congratulated herself for picking an activity she knew he wouldn't want to join in with.

"Aren't you a bit overdressed?" he said.

She glanced down at the fur cloak.

"I was going to leave the cloak at the side of the room," she said.

"Oh, okay," he said. "Well, I should let you get to it. You're not looking for a partner, are you?"

A scuffle of movement from a nearby alcove drew her attention and she spotted a pair of blue eyes, halfway down the wall, before their owner's face disappeared.

"No," said Aravis.

"Thank Aslan," said Shasta, then gave her an apologetic look. "I mean, I would, but I'm no good at dancing."

She tapped his upper arm. "No, no need to apologise. I'll just be going now."

She kept moving towards the throne room, glancing over her shoulder every few paces. Shasta watched her for a long time, all the way until she reached the doors and she even had to go inside. Luckily, it was empty. Five seconds and then she peaked out again.

Shasta's cloak retreated down the corridor and another cloaked figure darted out behind him. If Aravis hadn't known the first one was Shasta, she might have picked the wrong person to tail. Not that it mattered, because Corin seemed to be heading in the same direction as his brother.

She slipped out into the corridor herself, hurrying to catch Shasta before he turned off somewhere without her seeing. He went out of the castle. So did Corin, head down, darting glances to the left and right of himself and a sneaking suspicion set in Aravis' mind.

As she exited the castle, Shasta turned away across the courtyard and Corin hurried over to the other side of the path, ducking behind a barrel. His hair peeped above the snowy mound on top of the keg. Aravis glanced between him and Shasta, took a step in the crunchy snow, then realised that if she went after him now, Corin would see her.

She hesitated on the steps. But maybe Corin had noticed his brother was behaving shiftily as well. Which just reinforced Aravis' suspicions. For the last few days, she'd come up with all sorts of scenarios to explain Shasta's sudden awkwardness and his repeated excuses for why he couldn't do things with her.

Maybe he'd been doing the same thing with Corin.

Aravis knelt down and scooped up a handful of snow, her cheeks twitching with a grin as she compacted it together. Payback for the number of times Corin had caught her unaware since the snow had started.

She lobbed the snowball. It smacked into the prince's shoulder and he gave a surprised yelp. Then his gaze locked on her. He grabbed a handful of snow off the barrel and looked like he was going to lob it at her, but Shasta let out a noise.

Aravis ducked behind the stonework of the doorway. Corin dropped behind his keg and they both peered at the crown prince.

"Got to watch that step," muttered Shasta, picking himself up off the floor.

Laughter bubbled in Aravis' chest. Trust Shasta to trip over at the perfect time to save her from Corin's attacks, though she wasn't entirely convinced the distraction would stop him.

Shasta wandered into the stables and Aravis glanced at Corin. They locked eyes, then Corin scurried over to her. Aravis shrank back, because he was still holding the snowball in one hand, but he seemed to have forgotten it.

He pressed himself against the stonework next to her, grinning from ear to ear.

"So Ari –"

"Don't call me that."

"Aravis," said Corin, then gave a fake bow. "Lady Aravis."

"Prince Corin," she said stiffly. He glanced down at his snowball.

Aravis calculated her chances of escaping a hit at point blank range – not good. And then she'd have to throw another one at him. It was a bad idea to let Corin get away with mischief. He'd be emboldened to continue. And part of her liked to have the last say.

Corin stroked his chin with one hand. Deliberately. Exaggeratedly. Aravis' muscles tensed, but then he dropped the snow with a broad grin.

She frowned. Corin didn't normally give up his mischief, not unless something more appealing had occurred to him.

"Alright, I have one question for you," he said.

"What?" Aravis glanced towards the stables.

If they stayed here chatting for too long, Shasta might go somewhere else and she'd miss him again. And after she'd had all the forethought to wear warm clothes.

"Are you following Cor?" said Corin.

She folded her arms over her chest, still keeping half an eye on the entrance to the stables. "Are you?"

"Course I am," said Corin. "He's been acting shifty and I intend to get to the bottom of it."

"So you've noticed too," Aravis nodded to herself – she'd been right. She often was.

"Oh yes," said Corin. "Yesterday, I tried to ask him straight up and he said, and I quote 'Corin, I can't tell you – you can't keep a secret'."

"A secret," said Aravis.

"That's what he said," said Corin. "And I reckon I know what it is."

"You do?" said Aravis. Her stomach twinged and she told herself she was not annoyed that Corin had figured it out before she had, even though she could run circles around him in most of their academic lessons.

"He's meeting a girl."

Aravis' stomach twinged again, though she wasn't sure why this time.

"He's not," she said and Corin grinned, showing as many teeth as he could.

"Oh, I think he is," said Corin.

"He's not," insisted Aravis.

"Why, do you think if he were meeting a girl, it would be you?"

Her body heated like it was the middle of summer and Corin managed to cram more teeth into his smile.

"Have you actually seen this 'girl'?" said Aravis, making quotation marks with her hands, because nothing said maturity like air quotes.

"No," said Corin, then nodded to the stables. "But I intend to meet her today."

Aravis huffed. "I still don't think he's meeting a girl."

"Well, there's only one way to find out," said Corin.

He slid out of the doorway and strode towards the stables, like he'd forgotten he was sneaking. Then again, Shasta was nowhere in sight so he must be somewhere down in the stable stalls. He wouldn't be able to see them from there.

Aravis' stomach twinged again – the stables was where she and Shasta spent a lot of their time. Grooming horses and hiding from Shasta's sword tutor, because Shasta had started complaining his rear end needed more time to recover from the last onslaught – never mind he was on the third week of evasion. What if he was telling another girl about his princely rear end?

She laughed. If he was, he was even worse at courting then sword fighting. More twinges. She was not jealous and there wasn't a girl anyway. Corin was probably just winding her up.

But what if there was?

She stepped out into the snow, trailing a new line of prints next to Corin and Shasta's, reassuring herself that theirs were the only fresh prints in the snow. If there was another girl, she couldn't have come from this direction.

Aravis frowned at herself, but kept after Corin. He paused at the stable entrance and beckoned her over. Her feet were made of iron, but she joined him. Snow toppled into the stables in smooth slopes and the air smelt musky.

"Can't see him," said Corin. "He must be hiding in one of the stalls. Come on."

They entered. Aravis thought they'd duck down, check each row to be clear, but Corin just marched down the aisle. Clearly, he'd decided sneaking wasn't worth it anymore. Aravis hurried after him, every step like walking on a crumbling bridge.

 _There's no other girl_ , she told herself.

The first few stalls held only horses. Aravis' stomach twinged. Then she heard rustling. A clear, sheepish voice.

"No, no, you have to wait," said the crown prince of Archenland.

Corin put a finger to his lips and gestured to the final stall in the row. Aravis' skin tingled and she grabbed Corin's arm before he could move forwards. He raised an eyebrow, but she kept hold of him. She wasn't ready to run into Shasta with another girl.

"Aravis," hissed Corin, the word barely audible. He gestured to the end stall again and gave her a pointed look. "He's right there. Don't you want to know the secret?"

"No," whispered Aravis. "I think I forgot something inside."

But before she could move, a mop of blonde hair wandered out of the end stall. Shasta froze like the rivers of Archenland in the midwinter.

"Aravis?" he mumbled. "Corin?"

"Hello brother," grinned Corin, extracting himself from Aravis' claws. Her stomach lurched, but she forced herself not to grab at him again. "Now what's this secret you've been hiding?"

Shasta glared at him. "Why did you bring Aravis?"

There was an edge to his voice that made Aravis bristle. A hint of secrets.

"Brother, you brought her yourself with all your suspicious behaviour. Now if you don't mind," Corin tried to step past him, but Shasta blocked his path. "Don't make me knock you down," said Corin.

Shasta crossed his arms over his chest. "You can't just knock me down for no reason. That's not fair play."

"You're obstructing the prince's business," said Corin.

"You're obstructing the prince's business," said Shasta.

Corin raised a fist.

"You wouldn't want your lady friend to see you sprawled on your backside," he said. "So I suggest you move aside."

Shasta cheeks flushed and he glanced at Aravis.

Oh no. There really was another girl. Corin used the moment of distraction to duck past his brother and peer into the stall.

"Oh ho," he said. "What have we here?"

Aravis wanted to run out of the stables, but that would be showing distress and she didn't care if Shasta liked someone else. With her head held as high as her neck would allow, she strode towards the stall.

"Wait, Aravis," Shasta caught her arms, eyes wide and panicked. She pulled away and pushed past him, heart in her throat.

"A fine girl," said Corin. "Not your usual type."

Aravis pushed past him as well and the stall came into view. Straw littered the floor and a tan mare stood in the middle of it. Aravis was so preoccupied with finding a girl behind the horse's rear that it took her a few moments to realise that the animal itself looked very familiar.

"Surprise," said Hwin.

"There's no girl," said Aravis stupidly.

"Speak for yourself, young lady," said Hwin. "You may do your best to impersonate the male of your species, but I am quite happy to be female."

Corin waggled his eyebrows and heat rushed into Aravis' cheeks. She glared at him and grabbed a clump of straw to throw.

"Careful," a hand caught hers. Shasta. "You don't want to be obstructing a prince's business."

"This is what you were hiding?" said Aravis.

Shasta's arms pulled into his chest. "I thought you were dancing."

"I wanted to go horse riding," she said, then remembered Corin had already implied she had been following Shasta.

"I had a big event planned," said Shasta. "I was going to surprise you later with Hwin's arrival. Are you pleased? You look semi-murderous."

"Oh, that's just for Corin," said Aravis, then flung her arms around the fisher boy. The furs on his cloak tickled her nostrils, but she didn't let go. "But yes, I am pleased. Really, really pleased."

 **Thanks to everyone who reviewed last time – I always appreciate reviews :) Some of your comments have given me ideas for future scenes and I can't wait to write them :) I love these characters :D**


	3. To be a Prince

**Corin decides it's high time his brother learnt how to be a 'real' prince. Cor is sceptical.**

 **To be a Prince**

The door burst open and Cor jumped. The book he was reading slid from his lap – _'A Treatise on Existence'_.

"In the nick of time," said Corin, snatching the book up and chucking it onto the pile of books by the door. "You don't want to read that one. It contains a terrible enchantment that puts you to sleep."

"That's not true," said Cor.

"No, you're right," said Corin. "It's just as boring as the lion's bottom."

"That's blasphemy," said Cor.

"Quite right," said Corin. "The lion's bottom doesn't go around making philosophical arguments about whether or not we exist. I mean, I know I exist and I don't want to be bored out of existence."

Cor wandered over to the pile and picked the book back up. "I was enjoying it."

"You would," said Corin, then plucked the book out of Cor's hand. When Cor reached for it, Corin hid it behind his back and tutted. "But, my dear brother, that is because you are still new to this princely business. You don't know what it means to be a prince, yet."

"I'm learning," said Cor. "And our philosophy tutor says–"

"Fie," said Corin loudly. "What does a philosopher know about being prince?"

"That a prince should be wise and considerate, thoughtful and selfless."

Corin laughed. "What kind of nonsense is that old fart putting into your head? Sure, a prince should be those things, sometimes, but there's a lot more to being a prince than that."

"Like knocking people down when they don't agree with you?" said Cor.

Corin tutted. "Now, now Cor. I didn't insult you for being a wet blanket."

"You just did," said Cor.

"No I didn't," said Corin. Cor rolled his eyes. "Come on, I'll show you what being a prince is really about."

Cor shook his head. "I'd rather read about philosophy."

"You're just moping because Aravis is too busy with Hwin."

"Am not," said Cor.

Though he did wish she hadn't taken the whole week off to tour the nearby countryside with Hwin. Hwin had suggested he come with them, but Cor could not be spared from lessons. He'd been avoiding sword fighting for three weeks and his tutor had turned up as he was preparing to leave. Then he'd been taken to his father and his tutor had argued a very convincing case for Cor not being allowed to go. Most of it pertaining to his utter inability to defend himself and that if he tried to lift a sword, he was more likely to injure himself than his attackers.

Cor hadn't tried to defend himself against such charges and when Aravis was called as a witness, instead of trying to argue his corner, she'd said: "There has never been, nor is there likely to ever be, a prince so ill-versed in sword-fighting as his royal highness, prince Cor of Archenland. The soreness of his rear end is testament."

Cor had blushed profusely. Then he'd been told to stay behind and catch up on sword-fighting, so of course, he'd been hiding in his room reading philosophy books.

"You are," said Corin. "You're wearing your pouty face."

Cor relaxed his facial muscles. "I am not."

He wasn't pouting or moping. He didn't want to go with Aravis anyway. She'd insulted his sword fighting abilities. Whether or not they deserved such scathing appraisals was neither here nor there.

"In that case," said Corin. "There's only one thing for it."

He walked over to Cor's window and peered down at the courtyard through the diamond-latticed panes. Then he pushed back the window and dropped the book.

"Hey," said Cor, rushing over. He leant over the sill as ' _A Treatise on Existence'_ landed half-open in a clump of snow by the wall. "Why?"

"You need to learn to be a prince."

Cor shook his head. There was no arguing with Corin when he was in this kind of mood. Well, Cor could try arguing, but he'd probably get knocked on his backside.

"Alright," he said. "But only if we get my book back first."

"Fine," said Corin. "Though it might be less dry reading if it absorbs enough melting snow."

-O-

If Cor had to pick the greatest perk of being a prince, he always got stuck between two things. On the one hand, he loved the freedom. The ability to wander around, explore, get lost in his preferred activities without having to do chores or catch fish. Sword fighting lessons were even tolerable when viewed as an exchange for his freedom.

The other thing he loved was reading. Literacy was a skill he wished he'd learnt earlier. There were so many books to read and he was ten years behind where he could have been. When he tried to think of all of the knowledge he could have read in a decade, it made him dizzy.

And he hated to see any book lying forlornly in the snow, pages half-soaked. Cor plucked ' _A Treatise on Existence'_ from its miserable state. It had left quite a crater in the snowdrift.

"Did you have to throw it out the window?" said Cor.

"I would have burnt it, but father says that's barbaric."

Cor gawked. "You can't burn a book. Look at it. All that knowledge."

"I know," said Corin.

Cor shook his head and turned back towards the castle. "I need to get this dried out."

But Corin stepped into his path. "Not so fast. I'm teaching you to be a prince, remember."

Cor groaned.

At that moment, a horse trotted into the courtyard, led by a girl with deep brown curls in her hair and bright purple trousers on her legs.

"Aravis," he stepped towards her, but Corin gripped his arm.

"Rule one," said Corin. "Women, big no-no. We do not engage with females, except in extreme circumstances."

"But Aravis is my friend."

And he hadn't seen her for a week. And though he was still smarting, he really wanted to hug her.

"Fie," said Corin, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "She's not. She's a crafty female. Just look at the way she's manipulating that horse."

"That's Hwin," said Cor. "They're friends."

The horse and her companion hadn't noticed the two princes by the wall yet.

"She'll manipulate you if you're not careful, brother," said Corin. "Next thing you know, you'll have to give advice on which dresses make her look best."

"She already asks for my advice on clothing."

Corin looked horrified. He placed a hand on Cor's shoulder. "Brother, it's not too late for you. I may still be able to save you. Grab a snowball."

"What?" said Cor. "Why?"

"Do you want to be a prince?"

"How does this have anything to do with being a prince?"

"Just trust me," said Corin. "You have to slay your demons."

"I don't have any demons."

Corin shook his head to himself. "It's worse than I thought. Next thing you'll tell me you don't mind giving advice on clothing."

"I don't," said Cor. "Not to Aravis."

Though if she asked today, he thought he should refuse on principal. Maybe he'd tell her there was never a girl, nor was there ever likely to be, who was so ill-versed in dresses.

Corin balled up a clump of snow and thrust it at the crown prince. "You need this."

"You have the maturity of a five-year-old."

"And yet, you are the one pining over Aravis."

"I am not," said Cor, though it didn't seem to matter how many times he said it, Corin never believed him.

Corin packed his own ball of snow together and peered above the wall. "Alright, I reckon if we stockpile snowballs, we could get a few decent shots in before the enemy realises."

"Aravis will knock me on my backside in our sword-fighting lessons for this," said Cor.

"Quit whining, start piling," said Corin, packing another ball of snow. Cor grumbled. "Think about what she said about your sword-fighting."

Cor stacked his snowballs on the growing pile. Aravis and Hwin stood chatting in the middle of the courtyard. Aravis' tan cheeks were flushed pink and she was smiling. Even though he was still smarting about her remarks, he felt fuzzy when she smiled.

Sometimes he forgot what he was saying when she smiled at him.

"How many is that?" hissed Corin.

"You can count, can't you?" said Cor.

"A prince should never have to count his own snowballs."

"I'm a prince too," said Cor.

Corin nodded. "Fair point." He started counting. "That's twenty. I reckon we can get at least ten on Aravis – I mean the enemy – before she notices."

"Wait a minute," said Cor. "Is this because Aravis won the snow duel last week?"

"What snow duel?" said Corin, eyes wide and innocent.

"It is," said Cor.

"Come on, she told father you were the worst swordsman, not just in Archenland, but in the whole history and future of the world. Now get out there and throw snow."

"Why me?" said Cor.

"A prince must lead his men."

"You're a prince," said Cor.

"But you're the crown prince," said Corin. "And you're the one who needs to fight your demons. Now go."

He hooked a hand under Cor's arm and pushed him up. His head peeked above the wall.

"No wait–" he said.

Aravis turned towards him and he stood taller. He tried to smile casually, as though hanging out behind a wall in the castle courtyard was something he did all the time.

"Shasta?" said Aravis. "There you are."

She wandered towards him. Dainty prints in the snow. He grimaced. Something cold and solid was pressed into his hand and he looked down to see Corin give him a toothy grin and a thumbs up.

Aravis stopped a few feet away.

"Well come on," she said, waving him forwards.

Cor's cheeks warmed. Did she know? Was this a challenge? The snowball felt too heavy in his hands.

"Aravis…"

"Less talking, more throwing," hissed Corin. He was hunched up behind the wall, both hands clamped around snowballs.

"Don't I get a welcome back hug?" she said.

"Not after what you said about my swordsmanship," said Cor.

"The snowball," hissed Corin. "Throw the snowball."

Aravis pouted. "Are you still smarting about that? Have you not improved in the week I've been away?"

 _Only my understanding of philosophy._ But Cor didn't think he should admit that.

Aravis drew the curved sword from her belt. "Care to demonstrate I was wrong?"

Cor shook his head. There was only one way a duel would end – with him on his backside and Aravis' smug smile hovering over him.

"Don't get distracted by her manipulation," said Corin.

Aravis took a step closer, sword point directed towards Cor's heart. "Draw your sword, Shasta."

"Red alert, red alert," said Corin, jumping to his feet and spinning to face Aravis, hands behind his back. "The camel is in the hump."

"The what?" said Cor at the same time as Aravis gave an indignant screech.

"I am not a camel you blonde-haired brute," she said.

"I don't know," said Corin. "You'd make a good albino."

Aravis frowned, but then Corin held up his hands, with their snowballs, and her face paled.

"On three," said Corin. "Fair warning Ari. One."

"I'm going to get you for this," said Aravis. She swished the point of her sword between them like a pointer stick. "Both of you."

"It wasn't my idea," said Cor.

"Two," said Corin. "Thr –"

But before he could finish the word, a tan mare came charging towards them.

"Abandon ship," shouted Corin and ran off towards the entrance to the castle – a good ploy, because horses weren't generally well equipped to deal with staircases. Cor was left standing with a snowball in his hand as Hwin skidded to a halt in front of him spraying snow into his face and mouth.

He spat it out. Hwin looked down her long, horsey nose at him.

"There is no honour in an ambush Shasta," she said. "I would have thought a prince would know better than that."

Cor blushed from his forehead to his toes.

 **Thank you to everyone who reviewed last time. The Hope Lions, this one was for you :) I hope you all enjoyed it.**


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